The Statue of Liberty National Monument, Ellis Island and Liberty Island are all in Jersey City. The Richardsonian Romanesque-styled Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal from 1889 still stands in Liberty State Park. Pockets of heritage buildings remain downtown even as they are increasingly surrounded by new construction filling the Jersey City skyline. That skyline was once punctuated by the 50-foot Colgate Clock atop the Colgate Palmolive Building – while the building has since been demolished, the signature clock still stands on the waterfront.
Journal Square with its crown jewel, the Loew’s Jersey Theatre, is hallowed real estate in Jersey City. The Barrow Mansion is a prized Greek Revival treasure fronted by full-height fluted Ionic columns. Sometimes commuting can be as simple as walking – the historic route to the adjoining city of Hoboken is via the century-old 100 Stairs, which have just been renovated at a cost of about $10,000 per step.
There are 1,617 apartment buildings in the housing market mix and 36,315 other residential properties. Commercial properties number 3,512 and the inventory of industrial properties counts 557. Investors in undeveloped land can scout 9,716 vacant lots in Jersey City.
Of the major cities in America, only New York City surpasses Jersey City in the percentage of residents using public transportation. Buses, trains and ferries are all busy at Jersey City terminals. The city is also part of the Hudson County bike share program.
The Jersey City Public Schools educate 30,000 students from pre-kindergarten through high school. The district’s standout is the Dr. Ronald E. McNair Academic High School, a magnet school that has been ranked among the state’s best by New Jersey Monthly. Jersey City also offers 12 charter schools. Post-graduate options include a network of community colleges, New Jersey City University, and Saint Peter’s University.
Jersey City has a number of highly ranked care facilities including Christ Hospital and Jersey City Medical Center-Barnabas Health. The Metropolitan Family Health Network handles over 50,000 patient visits per year with a staff fluent in 8 languages.
FBI statistics indicate that property crime in Jersey City is well below the national average with only a 1 in 62 chance. The chances of violent crime in Jersey City are 1 in 191, more than twice the New Jersey state average of 1 in 392.
There is no better real estate for views of the Manhattan skyline than Jersey City. But not everyone is dreaming of crossing the Hudson River – after all, the sales tax is 3.5% in New Jersey and 8.5% across the river. The Liberty Science Center, with the world’s largest IMAX Dome theater, can hold its own with the best Big Apple museums. The Jersey City Museum, the Museum of Russian Art, and the Afro-American Historical and Cultural Museum are all important cultural attractions. Jersey Citians follow the Hudson Shakespeare Company as it stages summer productions in parks across the city.
Jersey City is one of the world’s most culturally diverse cities with international cuisine and festivals throughout the city. Little Bombay has the biggest concentration of Asian Indians in the United States. When it comes time to eating American, the White Mana diner is the destination of choice, where the hamburgers and fries are served in a historic landmark.
The go-to Jersey City meal involves Taylor Ham, fried and otherwise. The Annual All About Downtown Street Fair in September turns Jersey City real estate festive. Liberty Park and the Statue of Liberty are not just for tourists - locals take advantage of the fresh green grass for picnics and salt air for biking and jogging.
